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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485513">Ner Aliit, Ner Kar'ta</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/pseuds/LadyIrina'>LadyIrina</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian, his son and the Storm Trooper [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Found Family, M/M, Pining, Swooning, UST, reformed Storm Trooper, so much pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:40:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/pseuds/LadyIrina</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Din Djarin is trying to keep the child safe and mind his own business when he comes across a Storm Trooper called Corin.<br/>After that, things get a little complicated...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) &amp; Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret), Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret)/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Din Djarin/Corin Valentis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian, his son and the Storm Trooper [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1116</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the sister-fic of Family and Home, with Din's POV. It will be shorter and updated at random intervals, but if you want a look into the Mandalorian's head during some of the scenes, then this is the fic for you ;)<br/>And, yeah, you can read this without having read F&amp;H ^_^</p>
<p>Story is set after episode 1.03 of The Mandalorian.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Din is not thrilled about having to make a stop on this planet, but he needs supplies. He's used to going hungry, but he refuses that the child should experience that while in his care. And this town looks harmless enough. A desolate, dust-covered gathering of small buildings.</p>
<p>Din disregards the crowd gathered to watch a group of mercenaries executing some Storm Troopers stupid enough to get themselves caught. Then again, you had to be stupid to be a Storm Trooper these days. The Empire was finished, but there were plenty of people who were eager to have a little revenge and would unleash it on anyone connected to it.<br/>
The child shuffles next to him, looking around with a curious look, its big ears twitching.</p>
<p>There is the sound of a blaster being fired and Din automatically glances in the direction of the sound to assess the danger. He finds no danger, merely one less Storm Trooper. Oh well.<br/>
Looking back down, Din finds the child gone. Fear clutches his heart hard and Din instantly scouts the surrounding for the little shape. It can't have gotten far...</p>
<p>There is a commotion as the mercenaries drag forward their last target, a dark haired man in a Storm Trooper armor, and forces him harshly down on his knees.</p>
<p>And seconds later, while the Storm Trooper is desperately trying to free himself, his movements jagged and primitive with fear, Din sees the child shuffle forward to stand right in front of the spectacle.</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper, the mercenaries and the entire crowd, all freeze at the sight of the little one trilling happily at the man in white armor.</p>
<p>Gritting his teeth, Din marches forward and quickly scoops up the child. “What do you think you're doing?” Din mutters. “We talked about you wandering off.” Well, he had talked, but he wasn't entirely sure the child had listened. As usual. It tended to do whatever it liked anyway.</p>
<p>The kid looks up at him and makes a complaining sound before it turns to point towards the Storm Trooper kneeling in front of them, waiting with sharp gulps of air for his imminent death. There is clearly something about this man that has caught the little one's attention and that is enough to gain Din's curiosity.</p>
<p>Looking over, Din is stunned for half a second. The Storm Trooper has the most mesmerizing eyes he's ever seen. It's not like Din hasn't seen blue eyes before, but these are startling. They are beautiful. And truth be told, so is the rest of the face. But Din knows beauty on the surface doesn't mean what lingers underneath it isn't ugly. “Who are you?” He asks, ignoring the annoyed mercenaries. Din is taking his sweet time and if they have a problem with it, he'll shoot them.</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper winces as the mercenary with a blaster to his neck pulls at his hair, but he answers anyway. “We met.”</p>
<p>That's a lie. There is no way Din wouldn't have remembered those eyes. Even if they hadn't been filled with such terror he now sees in them. Terror and desperation.</p>
<p>“The ice planet. We shot your ship down. Your kid saved me from falling into that crevice.” The Storm Trooper adds.</p>
<p>Din frowns. The Snow Trooper? He remembered, but it was hard to believe that face had been hiding behind that stupid mask. Yet, it would explain why the child had approached him. It had been friendly towards the Snow Trooper from the start for some reason. He looks down at the child on his arm and it chirps eagerly up at him. There is no fear in its dark eyes and its ears are perked up, its little finger still pointing in the direction of the Storm Trooper. Din looks back at the soldier.</p>
<p>Yeah, the man looks terrified, but as a Storm Trooper it was nothing less than he deserved. If not for the minor fact that he had handed Din the heat blanket and saved his and the child's lives back on the ice planet. (Which might have been evened out by the kid saving the Trooper from the ice crevice, but then the idiot had to up the ante again by leading his fellow Troopers away from the ship.) Damn it... He hated being in debt to someone, especially a freaking Storm Trooper.</p>
<p>“Back off, Mandalorian.” One mercenary warns. “This is our bounty. And you... Wait, that kid...” </p>
<p>The second Din realizes that the mercenary recognizes the child, the decision is easy. Pulling his blaster, Din doesn't hesitate to shoot. He starts with the one behind the Storm Trooper and he gives the kneeling man a short order. “You. Up. Let's go.”</p>
<p>Luckily the Trooper doesn't hesitate or ask stupid questions, merely scrambles to his feet and more or less hides behind Din as he starts to make his way back to the ship.</p>
<p>Then, once the Razor Crest is safely out of the atmosphere, Din turns to deal with the fact that he has an enemy soldier on his ship. One with a tracking chip in his armor.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” The Storm Trooper says with obvious relief.</p>
<p>Din punches him in his pretty face.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The Trooper is heavy, a lot heavier than Din expected, but he manages to get him over his shoulder and carry him below to the cargo area. There he quickly removes the white armor, puts it in a near pile, leaving him in his black undersuit and ties up his ankles and his wrists to neutralize any threat while Din deals with the tracking chip. </p>
<p>The child looks from the Trooper to Din and makes a judgmental chirp.</p>
<p>Din frowns. “He's a Storm Trooper. We can't trust him.” He decides to ignore the frown he gets in return.</p>
<p>The dark haired man remains unconscious until Din has picked out the tracker, deactivated it and waited just long enough to start to worry that maybe he had punched a little too hard. Finally there is a groan and the Trooper squirms.</p>
<p>Din crouches down next to him. “You awake?” </p>
<p>The man groans, squirms again and finally the eyelashes flutter to reveal those amazing eyes.</p>
<p>Holding out the tracking chip for him to see, Din is curious to observe his reaction to being cut off from the Imp cavalry. “I was told you guys all have these on you. Your friends won't be able to find you without this.” </p>
<p>The Storm Trooper blinks, then struggles up into a sitting position with a faint grimace of pain. “I wasn't trying to lead them to you. It's just standard equipment.” He shakes his head a little, a bruise already forming on an exquisite cheekbone. “I got demoted because I let you two escape.”</p>
<p>That would explain why he is in regular Storm Trooper armor and not a Snow Trooper anymore. And it also makes Din wary. Does he blame them? “And are you looking to correct that?”</p>
<p>“No. I don't care about ranks.” The answer sounds too honest and tired to be a lie. The Storm Trooper leans his head back against the cold metal wall. “I just want to stay alive, man. That's all.”</p>
<p>There is a light chirp and the child comes tottering into view from behind Din. Its ears are perked up and it tilts its head. It's almost like it is smiling. Clearly it has no misgivings about their visitor.</p>
<p>And to Din's frustration, at the sight of the kid; the Storm Trooper's mesmerizing eyes fill with a softness that is impossible to fake and he smiles back, clearly charmed.<br/>
Din sighs. Fine. The kid had not been wrong about judging people so far. And he could always shoot the Trooper later if it should come to that.</p>
<p>With a flick of a blade, Din cuts the Storm Trooper free and heads back up into the cockpit with the child under his arm, with every intent of finding some place where he can safely dump this man.</p>
<p>Hearing said man shuffle into the cockpit after him is a little surprising, but more so when the Trooper decides to curl up in a corner, on the floor, behind the chair, like a scared animal. Huh.</p>
<p>Din doesn't get to linger on the strange behavior as the child fusses and won't settle in his crib. Maybe it is hungry? He pulls out the crate with the dried meat and hands it a piece of dried Gorg.<br/>
It seems to settle it. Good. So Din goes back to staring at his screen, trying to decide on which planet he should head for that wouldn't get him into trouble or the Trooper shot the second he stepped on the surface.</p>
<p>A soft chirp eventually draws Din's attention and he glances over at the crib. It's empty. He turns and finds the kid standing by the Storm Trooper, holding out the Gorg towards him.</p>
<p>The Trooper has his knees pulled up to his chest, arms crossed on top and the remarkable eyes peering over them. It's like he is trying to make his muscular frame as small and nonthreatening as possible. He's shaking his head at the child.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Din snaps. He picks up the squeaking child. “Eat your food. Don't go near him. He's a Storm Trooper.” Placing the child back into the contraption, he points a finger at it. “Stay.”</p>
<p>The child stares back at him. Yeah, it is definitely not going to listen.</p>
<p>Sighing with defeat, Din pulls the box back out, opens it and fetches another piece of Gorg. If the Trooper has his own food, the kid won't have any reason to try to give him his. “Fine.” He tosses the dried meat over to the man. “Eat.”</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper doesn't hesitate. He eats like he's scared Din will change his mind and take it away from him. And now that Din studies him, he recognizes someone who is not used to a regular flow of meals and hasn't eaten in quite a while. That was clearly what the child had been sensing.</p>
<p>Din reaches out and runs his hand over the child's head in an apologetic gesture while keeping his gaze on the Storm Trooper. He lets him eat for a while, but then curiosity gets the better of him. “Why fight for an Empire that is already gone?”</p>
<p>“I'm not fighting for the Empire.” The Storm Trooper chews thoughtfully. “I'm just trying to earn some credits.”</p>
<p>Not expecting that answer, not liking how it sounds a little bit too much why Din is doing what he does, Din pushes it a little. “The war is over. You lost. Why don't you just go home?”</p>
<p>The dark haired man pauses in his chewing. There is a flash of hurt in his eyes, as if he is haunted by a painful memory, before he starts working on the Gorg again. “My father and my uncle were on the Death Star. They were the only family I had. I don't have a home.”</p>
<p>The words hits Din hard. This man might be the enemy, but Din knows what it is like to lose your family. Your only family. He knows what it is like to be alone... And in that corner, curled up and forlorn, the Storm Trooper looks awfully alone.<br/>
Frowning, unsettled by the tight feeling in his chest, Din turns back to the computer and starts looking for a planet so he won't have to deal with this anymore.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Finally finding a suitable place, Din firmly informs the Storm Trooper that their next stop is a little under two days away. “We'll get you some other clothes, wearing that armor will only get you shot, and then you're on your own. Understood?” After this, they're even.</p>
<p>The man nods. There is nothing but gratitude and relief on his face and it is unsettling. This isn't how Storm Troopers should behave...<br/>
Though, it doesn't help that the child keeps seeking the soldier out. Keeps trying to get him to play. Keeps trying to crawl up on his lap and showing him his toys. It makes the soldier seem... kind.</p>
<p>Din has to trust him to look after the child for a little while as he does some repairs on the ship and when he hurries back to check on them, he enters the cockpit just in time to hear the child make a triumphant chirp at winning whatever they are playing and see the Storm Trooper with a bright and happy grin that feels like a blaster-shot to Din's breastplate. He's even more beautiful when he's smiling. But the smile instantly vanishes at the sight of Din and the man hunches his shoulders slightly in an anxious move, appearing to await harsh words for his behavior. </p>
<p>Din frowns. What has happened to this man? Why is he constantly cowering? This isn't the behavior of a captive afraid of his jailor. This is much deeper. This is something that comes from long ago and has become a part of his personality. This isn't fake.</p>
<p>After that, Din allows him to look after the child several more times, freeing him to do some repairs and inventory checks without stumbling over the kid trying to help. He tries not to listen when he hears the child giggle and the Storm Trooper laughing. He tries not to look when the man would handle the child with careful hands and eternal patience. Even when the kid accidentally digs his claws into his thigh and scratches him up, the man barely flinches and keeps the game going.</p>
<p>Din fights against it, but eventually he finds himself relaxing. It gets so bad that when he sees the child totter by him and crawl into the hidey hole in an impromptu game of hide and seek, he merely waits for the Storm Trooper to appear and asks him where the child is, just to entertain himself with the man's panic before revealing the secret compartment.<br/>
Weirdly enough, the unamused narrowing of the blue eyes makes Din want to laugh instead of seeing it as a threat. Offended was a much better look on the soldier's ridiculously attractive face than the constant anxiousness. Din even proclaims that the child's name is 'Womp Rat' just to see him gawk and the unamused-eye-narrowing again when the Trooper realizes it was a joke.</p>
<p>Din realizes he's clearly been traveling alone for too long. He finds he doesn't mind the Storm Trooper's presence and soon allows him to help out with the repairs as well as minding the child.</p>
<p>That is a mistake.</p>
<p>The child is tottering around on the floor of the cargo area, Din is reaching up to close a compartment when the man suddenly reaches out and takes a hold of Din's wrist.</p>
<p>The unexpected move has Din frozen, it doesn't feel like an attack,  and the Storm Trooper merely turns Din's hand to point his palm upwards and then has the audacity to merely slide his thumb under the sleeve of his jacket to brush a touch over Din's skin.</p>
<p>The contact, skin against skin, near where Din's pulse goes from normal to racing within a single heartbeat, feels like a bolt of lightning shooting up his arm. When the thumb slides across his pulse point, Din forgets to breathe and raw heat punches him in the gut. His blood gallops hard under his skin. Oh. </p>
<p>The thumb swipes again and a tingle bolts down Din's spine, pushing the remaining air out of his lungs and heat up into his face. <i>Oh.</i></p>
<p>He hasn't had anyone touch his skin in... years?</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper merely stares at the skin with nothing but rapt curiosity on his lovely face. His touch is unhurried and gentle and yet the most tantalizing thing Din has felt in what feels like a lifetime.</p>
<p>Din's eyes are drifting shut, a whirlpool of arousal starting to churn low in his belly, when the touch abruptly disappears and the Storm Trooper suddenly darts over to the other side of the cargo area with a mumbled; “I'm sorry.”</p>
<p>Snapped back to reality, Din doesn't move at first, too stunned, too caught up in the mess of sensations, then he finally pulls his arm close to his own body and carefully rubs his wrist with his other hand in an effort to replace the touch he can still feel there. What just happened?</p>
<p>Din knows he has to get rid of this guy. Fast.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>When the ship lands outside of the settlement where he figures even a former Storm Trooper can survive, Din declares that he'll head into town alone first and get some supplies while the Trooper and the child wait by the ship. And then, when he comes back, they will split ways.<br/>
“Watch him.” Din orders the Storm Trooper, pointing at the child.</p>
<p>The man's spine straightens too fast for it to be anything but ingrained training and he gives Din a firm salute. “Affirmative.” Clearly a model soldier.</p>
<p>Uncomfortable, Din gives a nod, glances over to check that the child at least still seems comfortable around this guy and finds it wobbling merrily around with perky ears and cheerful sounds. Okay. Right. Din turns on his heel and marches into the settlement.</p>
<p>He buys some food, adding some fruits he knows the child will eat as he worries a diet of pure meat might not be healthy for the little one, but Din suddenly finds himself staring at a large group of heavily armed Niktos standing in the middle of the marked. The one in the middle is holding a tracking fob and trying to decide which direction the signal is coming from.</p>
<p>Din doesn't hesitate, merely spins around and stalks back to the ship. A whole group of Niktos meant trouble and Din has had more than enough of his share, thank you very much.</p>
<p>He's almost halfway back when he hears first one blaster shot, then a second, both coming from the direction of the ship and by second shot; Din is already running and has his own weapon drawn.</p>
<p>Back at the ship, at some distance, Din sees two fallen forms by the Razor Crest. He hears the child wail a distressed sound as it stands on the ramp. And to his... relief? Din sees the dark shape of the Storm Trooper rise while what is clearly is a Nikto remains still on the ground. He'd brought down the Nikto and saved the child?<br/>
“There is an entire group of them in town. They are tracking the kid. We gotta go.” Din declares once he's close enough, more or less forgetting that they're supposed to split ways here.</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper opens his mouth to say something, but frowns instead and suddenly seems unsteady on his feet. He has to take a step backwards to keep his balance. </p>
<p>The child makes the distressed sound again and Din blinks with surprise when the soldier's legs just gives in and the Trooper collapses to the ground. He drops the bag and rushes to the man's side. “What's wrong?”</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper shakes his head, seems confused, but suddenly pain is painted all over his face and he reaches a trembling hand towards his stomach.</p>
<p>Din looks down and sees what the black undersuit had been hiding; a gaping wound from the Nikto's blaster. It's bleeding bad. Really bad. Din curses as he reaches down and gingerly checks the damage. He finds it to be far beyond what he can do anything about and curses again.<br/>
The guy might just be a Storm Trooper, but he had been kind to the child and there was something about him that told Din that maybe he wasn't a stranger to pain, and for those reasons; Din didn't like the idea of him dying. And it doesn't get any better as the child appears by his side.</p>
<p>Hearing angry voices, Din glances back at the town, knows the other Niktos are probably already on their way and tries to decide what to do. He can't see a good way out of this.</p>
<p>“Hey, kid. It's fine.” The Storm Trooper suddenly says. He reaches out and carefully folds the child into a one-armed hug, closes his eyes as those tiny arms tries to embrace him. “It's nothing to worry about.” He leans back and gives the kid an encouraging smile. “Listen... You take care of your dad, okay? You gotta look after him.”</p>
<p>The child gives him a mournful coo. Reaches for the wound. Seems distressed. And all Din can do is stare. He doesn't know what to do...</p>
<p>The Trooper turns his focus to Din. “Help me get up.”</p>
<p>“You're going to need a medic.” Din states stupidly, seeing no point in trying to get him up.</p>
<p>“I know.” The soldier sits up with a strangled groan. That has to hurt like hell. “Help me up.”</p>
<p>Din automatically helps him, amazed that the guy can move at all. He has to be in so much pain.</p>
<p>The legs are unsteady, but the man is standing. He gulps down air and looks over at Din. “Go.”</p>
<p>“What?” Din is pretty sure he didn't hear that right.</p>
<p>“We both know I'm not getting off this planet without a medic. And those Niktos are coming. You don't need any more attention. So you gotta go. For the kid.” The Storm Trooper presses a hand against his ruined stomach, trying to stem the bleeding a little. “I'll head into town. I'll be fine.”</p>
<p>The child is by the Trooper's leg, reaching one hand up towards him, so Din leans down to pick it up and holds it securely in his arms. “You can make it?”</p>
<p>The Storm Trooper nods.</p>
<p>Din hesitates, knows that is a blatant lie, but then he hears shouting and the Niktos has clearly discovered where they are. He takes a step towards the ship. “I'm sorry.” He can't risk the child's safety. He hates the idea of leaving the man to die alone. But those Niktos are coming for the child...</p>
<p>“Corin.” The Storm Trooper says. There is acceptance in those remarkable eyes, knowing he is about to die and willing to do it to keep the child safe. “My name is Corin.”</p>
<p>“May you find the way. Corin.” Din offers weakly in the face of such a sacrifice. He hesitates for two more seconds, knowing he will never forget that name. Corin. The child is squirming and whining, but Din turns and stalks inside the ship while clenching his jaw so hard it hurts and anger flares in his throat. Din doesn't like this. He doesn't like it at all!<br/>
The child gazes back at the Storm Trooper, peering over Din's shoulder, reaching back towards him in a futile gesture and Din feels ever worse.</p>
<p>When the ship takes off and heads towards the safety of space, Din refuses to look down. He doesn't want to see. It's bad enough to listen to the child making all kinds of angry and upset sounds, waving its little hands, stomping its little feet next to him, and refusing to settle down.</p>
<p>“I can't help him.” Din growls, keeping his eyes on the sky. “I can't help him, okay? That injury... There is nothing I can do.” Corin is a dead man. All Din can do is remember him.</p>
<p>The child glares up at him and makes a sharp sound. It lifts a hand up towards him.</p>
<p>Din glances down at the little one. “What?”</p>
<p>It keeps holding its hand up towards him.</p>
<p>Frowning confused, Din tries to understand and fails. “What are you trying to...?” He then remembers the gesture from his fight against the Mudhorn. Who knew what else the child could do other than lift giant beasts. “You can help him?”</p>
<p>The child chirps, lowering its hand, its face mellowing again. Tilting its head, it coos.</p>
<p>Din considers the situation, the insanity of it all, knowing he shouldn't risk this for a man he barely knows, but the child chirps again and Din only hesitates for one more second, then he pulls harshly on the steering and the Razor Crest does a sharp turn to race back to the planet.</p>
<p>Don't let it be too late...</p>
<p><br/>
- - -<br/>

</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <a href="https://ibb.co/n0x5d1G">
      
    </a>
<br/>
A HUGE thank you to the deity that is cac0daemonia for this incredible art! ( I do strongly recomment you check out her page here on AO3 for more and for the high-res version!)</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Corin is somehow still alive.<br/>Din does't care.<br/>And Baby is smug.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Din does a swipe over the town, scouting for the Niktos, for Corin. He sees no trace of the bounty hunters, but he sees a small gathering of people next to a building not too far from where the Razor Crest had been parked.<br/>
He can guess what they are looking at.</p><p>Landing dangerously close to the building, drawing no small amount of attention, Din grabs his rifle and the child. “Okay...” He's not sure if he's talking to himself of the kid. “Okay, let's go...”<br/>
This is crazy.</p><p>Stalking towards the crowd, half of them staring at him, half of them staring at something else, Din walks through them and finds his suspicion proven right.<br/>
Sitting on the ground, back against the wall with a broad trail of blood where he had slid down, Corin appears to be unconscious. His head is tilted forward. What Din can see of his beautiful face is very pale. His skin is just about ashen and even the lush lips appears to have a tinge of blue to them.<br/>
Is it too late?</p><p>Din goes down on one knee next to him and is forced to place his rifle on the ground, choosing to hold on to the child, in order to reach out to take a gentle hold of Corin's chin and lift his face.<br/>
There is a faint sound of pain.<br/>
Alive then. Good. Din has no idea how that is possible, considering how much blood the man has already lost, but he's not about to question good luck. What he needs to do is stop him from bleeding out before he can get him on the ship.</p><p>“Do you know this man?” Someone asks.</p><p>Din clears his throat, undoing his cloak. “Yeah, he's... a friend.”<br/>
He gets the cloak around the Trooper's waist and he ties it, tightens it. Hard. And he doesn't flinch at Corin's agonized scream.</p><p>The child looks up at Din, flicking its ears and giving him an accusatory chirp.</p><p>“I'm trying to keep him alive until you can do your... hand wavy thing.” Din mutters. “We need to get out of here before those Niktos come back, kid. We'll do gentle later.”</p><p>The crowd murmurs uneasily but no one is stupid enough to try to interfere or get in Din's way.<br/>
It takes a bit of maneuvering to get the unconscious man over his shoulder, still so damn heavy, and bring him, the child and the rifle back to the ship. There he lowers Corin to the floor, checks on the wound, confirms there isn't anything more he can do right now, then scrambles back into the cockpit and gets them off the damn planet without turning around this time.</p><p>When Din finally can return to the cargo area, he finds that Corin hasn't moved an inch, but the child is sitting next to him with a tired yet smug look on its little face.<br/>
“What?” Din asks, then crouches down to check on the Storm Trooper.</p><p>The wound is still very much present, but the damage is nowhere near as bad. The bleeding has stopped. Some of the torn flesh inside had magically repaired itself. This was the kind of damage that would cause trouble, but was possible to survive.<br/>
Corin would survive.</p><p>Din is not entirely sure why he feels so relieved at that fact.<br/>
Especially as he now has a dangerously attractive and badly injured man on board that he can no longer just dump on a planet and leave behind without a worry in the Galaxy.</p><p>The child moves closer to lean its head down on Corin's shoulder, weary and happy.</p><p>Looking from Corin to the child, Din sighs. “So, you're saying we're keeping him, huh?”</p><p>The child tilts its head up at him and coos.</p><p>Din nods absently. “Okay then...”</p><p>He grabs what blankets he has and gets to work on creating a make-shift bed for the injured man.</p><p>-</p><p>While Corin and the child sleeps, Din starts looking for the perfect place where he can hide a child with a bounty on its head and a run-away Storm Trooper. (To be sure no one will discover it, he dumps the white armor out the air lock in space.) Din tries not to wonder how his life had come to this. Or why he keeps dismissing one place after another as too dangerous, needing it to be perfect.</p><p>It takes almost an entire day cycle before the child suddenly grows restless and the half-drowsing Din, sitting next to it and the still unconscious Corin, reacts too slowly to prevent it from climbing up on Corin's chest.<br/>
Getting up on his feet, Din frowns as he watches the child stare intently at Corin's face. </p><p>The kid lets out a soft chirp. Tilts its head. Waits. Nothing happens.</p><p>The child chirps again. Waits. Still nothing. Its ears are starting to droop...</p><p>Din is about to pick up the kid, aiming to bribe it with some treat to ease its impatience, but to his surprise; Corin's eyelashes flutter and suddenly those incredible eyes are unveiled.<br/>
The gaze is bleary, confused, but Corin is awake.</p><p>The child's ears perk up and it trills happily, waving its hands. In its enthusiasm, it nearly loses its balance and shuffles a little on top of Corin's chest and the movement is enough to bring a faint whimper of pain from the man's lips.</p><p>Din instantly reaches down and picks up the child.</p><p>Corin closes his eyes, swallows hard. A drop of sweat trails from his temple. It takes a small eternity for him to open those eyes of his again.</p><p>The child chirps, squirms, wants to be let back down on Corin's chest again, but Din keeps his hold on it. He doesn't like how much pain there is on Corin's face. How pale he still is. The sweat breaking out on his pale skin. Other men would probably have been howling in agony, but this one keeps his hurt quiet. Din has never seen anyone with this kind of pain tolerance. It would be impressive if not for the sickening thought of how Corin has achieved this skill.</p><p>“What...” Corin has to clear his throat and cringes at the pain it causes from his wound. “How...”</p><p>“You're safe.” The Mandalorian replies, answering the fear and confusion he can see in him. This is someone who is used to being in constant danger and who knows weakness means death. Well, not anymore. He can rest now. Din will keep him safe.</p><p>To Din's surprise, Corin does close his eyes, his body relaxes and he sleeps.<br/>
He sleeps for a long time. He even sleeps through Din replacing his cloak with a bandage. The wound is still worth concern, but the child also seems relaxed so Din tries not to worry. He then tries to pretend he's not relieved when Corin opens those gorgeous blue eyes once again.</p><p>Yeah, Corin is definitely going to make it.</p><p>They travel for about three days, aiming for Kerrco, a planet Din has finally judged suitable. There would be no reason for neither war-lords or the New Republic to set their feet there, and he doubted many bounty hunters would either. In all his years, Din had never bothered to stop there.</p><p>The child spends a lot of time by Corin's side. Din guesses it is to keep an eye on him so he allows it. Corin almost died to protect the kid, he won't hurt him. And he seems to really enjoy the company of the little womp rat.</p><p>It's Din's presence he doesn't like.</p><p>Every time Din enters the cargo area, Corin will act polite but also tense up. Din sees the anxious touch to Corin's shoulders, the flickering eyes and the nervous anticipation for some kind of punishment for a crime that doesn't exist. It is, put mildly, unsettling.<br/>
Din tries to enter the cargo area as little as possible to make it easier for the injured man, checks in on them but otherwise keeps to the cockpit until they are about to enter Kerrco's atmosphere.</p><p>“We're landing. We should be safe here. Kerrco is a backwater planet, way off the radar.” Din says as he stands next to where Corin is sitting on the make-shift bed.</p><p>“Okay...” Corin replies, sounding a little confused but obedient. After a brief hesitation, he adds; “You're staying too?”</p><p>Did he honestly believe Din had come back to save his life only to dump him on the first suitable planet and leave him to fend for himself in this state? What kind of man did he think Din was? “We're staying.” Din declares, leaving no room for any arguing. But if Corin didn't like the idea of Din near him, he would have to tempt him with something else. “The kid needs somewhere safe to stretch his legs.”</p><p>Corin nods, avoiding his gaze and focuses on the child instead.</p><p>-</p><p>Din lands the Crest in the middle of a forest, keeping her out of sight, and he steps out of the cockpit to find Corin up on his feet. How that is possible, Din has no idea. Corin has to lean his shoulder against the wall, slightly ashen-faced after the strain, but he is standing.<br/>
He shouldn't be standing.</p><p>Din marches over and opens the cargo door. “I'm going to find us some lodgings. You two stay here. Understood?” That way the child will be safe and Corin can stay off his feet a little longer. </p><p>The only trouble with this brilliant plan is the sight of the kid shuffling halfway down the ramp before glancing back at Din with a questioning sound, as if to ask him what is taking him so long.</p><p>Din sighs. Why does he even bother...?</p><p>Waving for Corin to join them as well, he's is not leaving him behind, Din makes him wear a jacket and a cloak to cover up most of the black undersuit that might reveal Corin's Storm Trooper identity. The Trooper's sturdy frame is already trembling with the strain before they've even started walking, but he seems determined to go with them so Din keeps quiet.<br/>
He just lets the child walk on its own two little feet and that forces them to keep a slow pace that the injured man can keep up with.</p><p>By the time they reach the town, Din sees Corin is even paler than before, drenched with sweat that makes locks of hair stick to his forehead, and the dark color under his lovely eyes look like bruises.<br/>
Din sets course for where they can find food and some rest before he start hunting for lodging for the three of them. He doesn't want Corin collapsing and undoing the child's magic, so he parks them on chairs and buys them food, watches them eat.</p><p>It's difficult to say if it is the Storm Trooper or the child who is the messiest eater.</p><p>When Corin pauses in inhaling his food, it is to make sure no drop or crumb escapes and licks those perfect lips of his in a way that does <i>things</i> to Din's gut. It makes the skin on Din's wrist flare up and tingle and tease. But then Corin looks over at the child, sees it wearing its food on its face with pride, and the Storm Trooper unleashes a bright smile that does really dangerous things to Din's heart of all things, and Din suddenly decides to study everything except the man next to him.</p><p>His mood does not improve further when four people carefully approach their table.</p><p>“No.” Din says just as one of them says; “Excuse me.”</p><p>There are two men and two women. All four looks perplexed for a second, then one of the women speaks up. “You haven't heard what we have to say yet.”</p><p>“You want a mercenary. No thanks.” He needs to find a safe place for the two under his care, not pull jobs. “I'm just here to find some lodgings for a while.”</p><p>“You won't find any.” The woman counters. “It is the Blue Moon festival. You won't find anything for at least a full whole moon.”</p><p>Din sighs. Of course.</p><p>“We can pay you.” The man shoots in eagerly.</p><p>That catches Corin's attention and it looks like he's about to speak up, clearly drawn to the prospect of earning some credits despite being barely able to walk. Really? Din glares and Corin quickly shifts his focus back to his food.<br/>
Satisfied, Din turns back to the others. “What is the work?”</p><p>“There is a man.” The woman says. “He forces our village to pay him tribute. If we don't...”</p><p>Din nods, considers his options, liking none of them. He glances back over at Corin and the child, knows they depend on him to provide and the decision is easy. But he has terms if they want him to take the job. “We'll need a place to stay.”</p><p>“Absolutely.” The man agrees eagerly.</p><p>Turning his back on him so Corin won't hear him through his slurping, Din adds; “And I want transport. We won't be walking to this place of yours. </p><p>“Yeah, no, no problem.” The four are so eager to agree by now they are talking over each other.</p><p>“Lodging, transport and payment. Then you got yourself a deal.” Din </p><p>A deal is struck.</p><p>-</p><p>Corin and the child finish their meals and once they step outside the building, the transport is waiting for them.<br/>
Which is a lucky thing, judging by how exhausted Corin looks. He even pauses and looks a little despairing as how to simply climb up on the thing without passing out.</p><p>Din usually only touch others when he's in a fist fight, but he finds himself reaching out and taking a hold of Corin's elbow to help him get up on the transporter wagon. Even through his glove, Din can feel how solid and warm he is. Yeah, Din has definitely been traveling alone for too long.<br/>
He quickly turns his attention to the child and lifts it up on the wagon as well before following himself.</p><p>It's a little awkward how the amount of stuff loaded up on the transporter wagon makes it so Din has to sit real close to Corin, who is luckily too occupied with the child to notice. But Din notices. Din notices it far too keenly.<br/>
Tending to Corin while he was on the verge of dying, Din had been too focused on trying to keep him alive to register much of anything, but now it is damn difficult not to see the curve of muscle on Corin's thigh visible due to that sleek fabric straining over it, how graceful his fingers are and how that his jawline could probably cut through Beskar.<br/>
Din shifts his gaze up at the sky, tries to think about something else, but his wrist is tingling and it is starting to trail up his arm too, so he absently rubs at it and hopes the journey won't be too long.</p><p>They travel in silence. After a while, the child falls asleep between them.</p><p>It is late in the evening when they arrive at the village. A woman steps up as the transporter wagon comes to a halt and is clearly the spokesperson for the villagers. Good to know.</p><p>Din carefully picks up the grumbling child, obviously unhappy about being disturbed in his sleep, climbs down from the wagon and holds out a hand for Corin to take so he can help him down as well. His pulse does not jump when he feels Corin's fingers curl around his, it doesn't, and if it does, it is because he feels bad at how tired Corin looks. That's all.</p><p>The woman scans the three of them and asks; “You travel together?”</p><p>Din doesn't hesitate. “Yes.” They are not splitting up.</p><p>But he does mutter some soft curses in Mando'a when he sees this tiny hut they'll be sharing. Great. There is going to be no room for him to remove his helmet for quite some time.<br/>
However, the second Din steps through the door, that suddenly seems like the least of his worries.</p><p>There is only one bed.</p><p>Granted, it is a big bed. Huge. But only one!<br/>
Din blinks, realizing that is what the woman had meant when she asked if they traveled together; were they a couple. And Din had said yes.<br/>
Heat flares up in his face.</p><p>Din barely notices Corin easing the drowsy kid over in his arms, walking over to place it gently in the crib and then removing the cloak given to him earlier. Din can only replay the question and his answer inside his head, again and again. <i>Together? Yes.</i></p><p>Finally Corin's voice snaps him out of it. “If it is a problem, I, uh, I could always sleep, you know...” He sounds awkward, clearly reading Din's unease, and gestures towards the floor.</p><p>“No.” Din snaps. That is out of the question. “You're injured. You take the bed.”</p><p>Corin hesitates. “Listen, it's a big bed. You could fit four souls there. It's late. Don't you Mandalorians ever share bunks? We did. All the time.”</p><p>Of course Din has shared bunks with other Mandalorians. He has shared bunks with them countless times from he was little. But none of them were as beautiful as Corin and none of them had touched his wrist, his skin, like that! Just the idea of being in a bed with him... “You're not a Mandalorian.”<br/>
The words come out harsh. Angry. They usually do when Din is being defensive.</p><p>Corin's face goes blank, void of any expression. His eyes go flat.</p><p>The child makes an upset sound in the background, now standing in its crib and looking at them.</p><p>“No... No, I'm not.” Corin confirms slowly, sounding strange. He reaches out and takes a hold of a pillow. “You take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. Storm Troopers do that all the time. I got practice.”</p><p>Feeling guilty for some reason, Din steps into the room, frowning. “You're sleeping on the bed.”</p><p>“No. I'm not.” Corin mumbles, a touch of quiet defiance. “You haven't slept properly for days in that pilot seat of yours. You need to rest.”</p><p>Frustrated, Din stalks forward and does not stop until he is right in front of him, hoping to intimidate him into giving in, but this time Corin stands his ground. He stares at the floor, scared, doesn't want a fight, but he's not giving an inch.<br/>
Din hovers for a while, tense and on the verge of saying something stupid, but he merely ends up sighing again with the bitter taste of defeat. “Fine. We'll share.”</p><p>“No, I-” Corin begins a new counter-argument.</p><p>Flailing for a way to end the conversation, Din remembers the way the Ugnaught had ended his arguing. “I have spoken!” Din then stalks over to the crib and soothes the child with apologetic words of reassurance and a gentle touch to the tufts of hair on its head. He needs to learn how to control his temper better around the kid. And possibly around Corin too...</p><p>They do share the bed, keeping firmly to each side and with more room between them than what they are physically occupying.<br/>
Corin's calm breathing reveals he falls asleep pretty fast, which is no surprise, but it takes Din a whole lot longer to follow him.</p><p>-</p><p>When Din wakes up, Corin is still asleep. It's no surprise. His body needs rest to heal and recover after the strain it had been put through. The child, however, is standing in its crib and watching them both with a slight tilt to its head.</p><p>Din eases himself out of bed, careful not to wake the other man, and walks over to pick up the kid. It reaches up eagerly when he reaches into the crib, cooing happily and Din hushes it softly. “Your stray needs his sleep, <i>ad'ika</i>. We gotta be quiet.”<br/>
He glances over at Corin, making sure he's still asleep and tries not to get stuck on how vulnerable he looks right now. Curled up on his side, knees drawn up a little, as if yet again trying to make himself as small as possible even as the width of his shoulders makes it a moot point.</p><p>Tearing his gaze away, Din treads softly as he leaves the hut and goes hunting for some breakfast for them and lets it be known that he wants to talk to someone who can give him information on this threat they want Din to deal with.</p><p>Once that is achieved, Din returns to hover outside the hut. He's leaning against the wall next to the door, watching the kid play with some village children, when Corin emerges a while later.</p><p>As usual, the startling eyes flicker insecurely at the sight of Din, the shoulders hunch a little, but Corin seems a little stronger. He's not quite as pale. Good. Din gives him a slight nod as a greeting, but finds himself both amused and drawn to the wildest case of bed hair he's ever seen. Corin's thick and untidy locks seems to be determined to poke up at every angle and is emitting a challenge for someone to try to tame them. Din quickly turns his attention back to watching the child, carefully curling his fingers into fists, knowing he has always had trouble turning down a challenge.</p><p>At least the kid is having fun. Din feels a soft smile tug at his lips.</p><p>“You wanted to talk?” The man who had offered Din the job appears out of nowhere. Good.</p><p>Din nods. He straightens and walks towards the man while tossing a few words back to Corin. “Keep an eye on the kid.”</p><p>“I can help.” Corin offers, as if he doesn't have a gaping wound in his gut.</p><p>“You're injured. Rest.”  Din reminds him, already following the man away from the building. “And I don't need help.” He can handle this. But knowing the kid is in safe hands is a relief, so Corin is technically helping, just without the risk of getting himself killed.</p><p>Going through all the history of this local goon lord, gathering all the information and planning a scouting mission the next day, it takes a lot longer than Din anticipated. These villagers mean well, but they are all so eager to help that they keep talking over each other, keep arguing about what fact is correct or not, so by the time Din can return to the hut; the sun has already gone down and Din just wants sleep, knowing he will have two of the chattiest men along for the scouting mission tomorrow.</p><p>What Din doesn't expect is finding a small gathering outside of the hut. A bunch of drunkenly singing villagers and one very drunk Corin among them.</p><p>Din walks over and pauses next to him, a little uncertain how to handle this. A tingle does most certainly not run up his spine when Corin looks up at Din with a wide, drunken smile. </p><p>“Drink?” Corin offers up his cup.</p><p>“No thanks.” Din replies, noting how the alcohol has brought a faint blush to those magnificent cheekbones and softened the usually so nervous eyes.</p><p>Corin shrugs, tilts his head back and chugs the rest of the liquid in his cup.</p><p>Din is absolutely not so distracted by watching the curve of Corin's throat, the movement as he swallows, one, two, three times, that he nearly acts too late when the former Storm Trooper suddenly decides to get up on his feet and almost topples over.<br/>
Pure reflex is what enables Din to reach out in time and grab a hold of his arm and preventing Corin from losing balance and falling, which probably would have torn up his wound again. This results in Corin letting out a soft sound of surprise, wobble slightly and then give Din that radiant smile of his again.</p><p>Din sighs. This isn't fair.</p><p>He partially drags and partially carries Corin back to the hut and firmly turns him away from the child's crib that he aims towards and guides him over to the bed instead.</p><p>“He's asleep.” Corin informs him in a cheerful whisper. “You... You should give him a name.”</p><p>Din eases him down on the mattress, mindful of the wound and refusing himself to think about what he's doing; tucking Corin into bed. “He has a name.”</p><p>“A proper name. Womp Rat and Scurrier and... Whatever. It ain't proper names.” Corin objects, allowing Din to maneuver him without a hint of being bothered by it. “He should have... a proper name. A good name. He's a precious baby.”</p><p>Din's heart clenches hard. Hearing Corin going to battle for the kid, even drunk off his face, it just reaffirms the affection he so clearly feels for Din's cherished Foundling and that... that is dangerous.<br/>
Frustrated, Din circles to his side and removes his cloak. He even starts undoing his armor without a conscious thought and by the time he realizes, he's too annoyed to put it back on and merely pulls off his boots as well.</p><p>“Are you listening?” Corin insists.</p><p>“Sure.” Din replies, hoping it will shut him up. He settles on his back and stares up the ceiling.</p><p>For a moment there is sweet silence, but of course it doesn't last.</p><p>“Hey...” Corin says quietly. “Why did you save me?” He knits his brows in an effort to think. “How did you save me?” </p><p>Din hesitates, not sure how to explain, or if he should explain. He has no idea how Corin will react if he finds out what the child can do with his magical powers. But he deserves to know. Some truth at least. And the truth is that the child was the one who made Din turn the ship around.<br/>
“The kid. It was the kid.” As for 'why', the answer is easy. The second Corin was willing to die for the child, he became an ally. “And we don't leave our people behind.”</p><p>Corin goes quiet again and Din feels a weak hope that maybe he's fallen asleep. A hope that is shattered when the former Trooper actually eases himself up to lie on his side, facing Din. He really shouldn't be able to do that with the kind of wound he has. Din opens his mouth to order him over on his back again, but then Corin inches closer and leans forward to rest his head on Din's shoulder with a faint sigh of satisfaction, like this was something they did all the time.</p><p>Din is stunned. He can't breathe, can't move, can't... anything, except register the contact.</p><p>Despite the obvious unease and discomfort Corin has shown whenever Din is around, he is now all soft trust. He even nuzzles Din's shoulder a little, drawing a deep breath and relaxes as sleep creeps in.</p><p>Din remains frozen for several more heartbeats, only breathes when the need becomes acute, but eventually he can't help himself and turns his helmet just a little to steal a peek.<br/>
While the proximity, Corin's lips, the arc of his bicep and the dip by his hip, makes Din's pulse thump, he is even more fascinated by the beauty of his trust. There is no trace of the skittish expectation of something bad to happen, only peace on that gorgeous face.</p><p>Din reaches up to gently stroke away a lock of hair from Corin's face, and when that makes Corin smile and nuzzle his shoulder again, Din pulls his hand away and stares up at the ceiling.<br/>
His wrist tingles and burns, but he refuses to acknowledge it. He's stronger than this.</p><p>-</p><p>Din doesn't sleep much that night. He's too aware of the one sleeping next to him, despite how Corin barely moves, completely knocked out by whatever he'd been drinking.<br/>
Din is actually relieved when he sees dawn about to start announcing its arrival, as that means he can gently slide out from under Corin's trust, dress in silence, grab the sleeping child and, well, not exactly flee, but make a strategic exit before the former Trooper wakes up.</p><p>The child is not happy about being up so early, which means Din shamelessly bribes it with some treats to make up for it. He finds himself some breakfast too, works out for a bit to pass the time and burn off some weird tension, then the woman who had put them in that damn tiny hut with the huge bed appears.</p><p>Her name is M'Jau, apparently. “Where is your-”</p><p>“He's asleep.” Din cuts her off before she gets to finish that sentence. They've already agreed to share the bed, it's fine, no need to cause a scene. Maybe they wouldn't be allowed to share a hut if they weren't... together. Din is not familiar with the culture here, so he can't be sure, and he needs to be able to keep an eye on the two he has taken under his protection. “He was injured recently. Do you think there is somebody who could...”<br/>
Din does not want to strain the child and he's still not certain how Corin would react to the magic.</p><p>“I'll tend to him.” M'Jau offers with a slight smile. “I heard he also joined in on the celebration last night. Should I bring something for that as well?”</p><p>Thinking back on how drunk Corin would have to be to seek comfort in someone he usually couldn't see without cowering, Din nods. "Yeah... Yeah, I think that might be a good idea.”</p><p>After that he has a quick talk with the two villagers who will bring him to the compound where these villains are hiding. They agree to head out after Din has handed the child over to his- to Corin.<br/>
Walking back to the hut, feeling the smug smile of the child staring at him, Din lets out a frustrated breath. “This is not funny.” It's not. It's really not. The tension is back in his body, he can't decide whether he's relieved or reluctant to leave the village for a while and his wrist is throbbing.</p><p>There is a group of children playing outside the hut and the kid instantly starts squirming and pointing towards them, so Din lets it join them before he marches over to the hut. Clearly Corin isn't awake yet, or too hung over to step into the sun, but Din doesn't want to leave the village without knowing Corin will look after the child and giving him a rough estimate of the scouting mission.<br/>
Suspecting he might offer to join them to help out, Din is preparing his counter-arguments when he pushes open the door and takes a step forward. A half-strangled sound dies his throat at the sight that greets him.</p><p>Corin is naked! Well, okay, he's still wearing his pants, but he's sitting on the bed with his entire upper body on display, M'Jau kneeling next to him to tend to his wound, and in the precious moment that Din gets to see all that skin, his brain registers that Corin's body matches his face. It is absolutely gorgeous. The skin, the muscles, the solid realness of it all combined with such beauty.</p><p>As his brain simply freezes, Din's own body reacts in pure self defense and he feels himself spinning around to storm away, only to miscalculate and smack straight into the door frame. Din staggers back a step and then he really does flee. Face burning, heart thumping, wrist flaring and the vision of what he just saw haunting his mind.<br/>
There is no way Corin didn't notice what happened, so Din merely tosses out an order without looking back. “We're leaving for a scouting trip. The kid is playing out here. Watch him.”</p><p>As if the day hadn't started off bad enough, it had to continue in the same manner. The ride out to the compound is easy and peaceful enough, but once there Din confirms what the villagers have been insisting on; this is no easy target.<br/>
There are a lot guards with heavy weapons, and judging by their movements, they are no rookies. The compound itself is built to handle quite a beating and there are several speeder bikes plus a skiff down there. Crew, weapons and extra equipment. This is not a one-man job.</p><p>Looking through his scope, Din studies every corner of the compound without stopping, until he sweeps over the western wall and sees them.<br/>
At least two dozen Storm Trooper helmets on pikes. The ground under them is soaked in blood.</p><p>For one cold moment, Din thinks about how close Corin's helmet had come to a similar fate, how close his blood had come to wet the sand of a different planet and that these guys would gladly rectify that if they were to discover Corin's former identity.<br/>
And for all that Din knows, those helmets down there, maybe they had belonged to people that Corin knew. Someone he cared about and would mourn. </p><p>This is not a one-man job, but there is no way that Din will allow Corin near this or these guys near Corin. Din has defeated impossible odds in the past, so he will just have to do it again.<br/>
This is what Din Djarin is good at. This is his job.</p><p>Returning to the village, Din is a little relieved to find the hut empty. No sign of Corin or the child. That means he can allow himself a brief pause and feel his body's complaints. He's tired, sweaty and tense.<br/>
Din steps over to the washing area, removes his helmet and scoops up cold water to splash his face.</p><p>That feels really good, so he reaches down and does it again. </p><p>His mind is still churning away, trying to create the perfect plan, but the breeze on his wet face is quite lovely so Din allows himself a couple of seconds more of just breathing before drying his face and putting his helmet back on. Time to go to work.</p><p>Din is surprised to find Corin sitting on the steps outside of the hut and pauses next to him.</p><p>Corin looks up at him with those remarkable eyes of his. “How did the scouting mission go?”</p><p>Din sighs. “We have a problem.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Din realizes it is too late.<br/>And gets there just in time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Corin straightens his back and frowns. His lovely eyes suddenly sharp and focused. “What problem?”</p>
<p>To keep focused, Din crosses his arms and looks out over the village instead of the other man. “The guy squeezing money out of this place. He's not just some goon. He's got weapons, some serious weapons, and a crew.”</p>
<p>“That's not a problem.” Corin counters with lazy confidence and doesn't sound troubled at all.</p>
<p>If he knew of the bloodstained helmets on pikes, he might feel different, but Din merely makes a thoughtful sound as he tries to figure out a plan that won't include Corin finding out that particular detail. “They don't have to pay up for three more days. We got time to prepare.” He hopes.</p>
<p>Corin clears his throat and looks out at the village too. “Yeah. Okay. Let me know what you want me to do when the time comes.” </p>
<p>Obedient and soft, yet strong and willing to do what is needed.<br/>
What Din would like him to do is stop being so... so...<br/>
Frustrated, Din nods to Corin words, then steps down and walks over to where the child is playing.</p>
<p>When the child discovers his approach, it eagerly wobbles over to him and reaches up its little hands.</p>
<p>Din picks it up, holds it close and sends it mildly reprimanding look from behind his visor. “<i>You couldn't have picked a different stray?</i>” He asks in Mando'a. “<i>This one might actually be the death of me, kid.</i>”</p>
<p>The child tilts its head and coos innocently. A little too innocently.</p>
<p>“<i>Yeah, I know you like him. I'm not saying he's not... nice, but most of the Galaxy will be out to kill him because of who he was. He's a walking target, you know.”</i></p>
<p>
 Reaching out a tiny hand, the child places it against Din's breastplate and warbles something before looking up at him with expectation.
</p>
<p>
Din looks back with a blank expression before he sighs. “<i>Fine. I will give him my old armor.</i>” That would at least help keep Corin safe. A lot safer than his Storm Trooper armor ever did. And as Corin has become a part of his little group, it is Din's responsibility to protect him.
</p>
<p>
 Decision made, Din walks back to where Corin is now staring at the ground. He holds the child out to him when Corin glances up with nervous curiosity. “I need you to look after the Blistmok again.”
</p>
<p>
 Corin automatically accepts it into his arms. “Where are you going?”
</p>
<p>
 “I'm going to head back to the ship and get some parts. Might take a while.” Noticing the stubble on Corin's face and realizing he wants to feel it against his own skin, Din turns on his heel and briskly walks away. Breathe. Just breathe. “I'll be back.”
</p>
<p>
 Borrowing the transporter wagon, politely but firmly declining the offer of one of the chatty villagers to join him, Din heads back to the Razor Crest.<br/>
Back to traveling alone, it gives him time to think and after a couple of hours, he's close to regretting not allowing the chatty villager come with him after all. Din's thinking way too much.<br/>
Especially about a certain dark haired former Storm Trooper.
</p>
<p>
Once Din had decided to go back for the child, everything was easy. He would save and protect the little one with everything he had down to his final breath, and could only hope to make up for what he'd done by handing the child over to them. But Corin? Oh, that was an entirely different thing.<br/>
The Covert understood and rallied behind his need to save the child. Foundlings are the future. But how is he going to explain Corin to them?
</p>
<p>
  <i>- Yes, I understand that technically he should be shot for being an Imperial, but I swear; this guy is different from them. He didn't hesitate to offer his life for the child's safety. He's like us. He's Mandokarla! Oh, and have you seen how gorgeous he is?</i>
</p>
<p>
At that moment, his brain flings the memory of a half-naked Corin at him, all that bare skin and curving muscle, and a raw shudder goes through Din. A sliver of heat and hunger. He has to shake himself to get rid of the image.<br/>
No. He's definitely not thinking about that.
</p>
<p>
 Okay, so the guy is mouth-wateringly hot, but Din can handle it. He's not a damn teenager; he can control himself and keep his damn pants on. Corin might even not be into guys! Just because he drunkenly fell asleep on Din's shoulder did not mean he wanted anything else.
</p>
<p>
  <i>-Focus</i>, Din tells himself, arriving at the ship. -<i>Get the armor, get the weapons, deal with the danger first and then you can worry about explaining Corin to the Covert, and yourself, later.</i>
</p>
<p>
He loads the items into boxes and then the boxes on the transporter wagon, but he also grabs his repair gear as he suspects he needs to do some adjustments on the armor to fit the other man. Luckily they are of the same height, but if you are going to wear armor for a prolonged time; it better fit your body to perfection or you'd end up miserable and in pain from what is supposed to save your life.
</p>
<p>
Once everything he needs is finally stacked up on the transporter wagon, Din starts on the journey back to the village.
</p>
<p>
He can do this. 
</p>
<p>
-
</p>
<p>
He can't do this.
</p>
<p>
  Returning to the village long after darkness had settled over it, Din had quietly unloaded the boxes outside the hut, worried he'd wake the child, and once that was completed he had done the mistake of opening the door to the hut and looking inside.
</p>
<p>
 Exhaling heavily, Din leans his shoulder against the door frame and knows, in the marrow of his bones, that he's in trouble.
</p>
<p>
Lust, Din could have dealt with. Simple craving would have been fine. Because, really, Corin is temptation on two legs. But this?
</p>
<p>
 On the bed, curled up on his side, Corin is asleep, blissfully unaware of being watched, and snuggled up to him is the child. Corin has his arm protectively curled around the small body, his head tilted down so his lips are barely brushing against the fuzzy head and Din can see how one of the tiny, green hands have a lazy grip on Corin's shirtcollar. The trust between them is complete.
</p>
<p>
Swallowing hard, it takes everything Din has not to walk over and crawl into bed with them. The urge to hold them both, wrap his arms around them, is nearly choking him.<br/>
They look perfect. They look like family. Like they could be his family.
</p>
<p>
What little Din can see of the child, he gets the impression it is almost smiling in its sleep.<br/>
And Corin, well... Corin might be a soldier, he has the powerful build of one and he was taught how to kill, would kill in a heartbeat if something was to threaten the child, but there is nothing but soft gentleness in him now. It makes him even more beautiful and Din's heart <i>aches</i>.  
</p>
<p>
Din closes his eyes, realizes that he doesn't have to worry about falling in love with this man because it's too late, he's already there.
</p>
<p>
 Simply sating his lust with Corin wouldn't be enough. Nowhere near enough. He wants him to stay. With him and the child. For the rest of their days. Always.<br/>
Din wants Corin to be his, really his, one day united by wedding vows, family, so Din could take off his helmet, be entirely bared in front of him, as vulnerable as Corin is now. Din would taste those sensuous lips of his, instinctively knowing the long wait for his first kiss would finally be worth it and it would be followed by countless more.<br/>
He wants the entire Galaxy to look at Corin and know he is off limits for everyone but Din.
</p>
<p>
They could be happy, Din knows it. The three of them. In the future, maybe more than three. A family built on love.
</p>
<p>
Opening his eyes again, Din once again takes in the sight of Corin and the child and a heavy resignation settles over him.<br/>
Wishful thinking, that is all. 
</p>
<p>
 Corin can barely be around Din without cowering. He looks to him for orders, not anything else. The thought of Corin giving into whatever Din asks for or wants simply because he's too scared or unable to say no? It makes Din's stomach turn. No, he would never do that to him.
</p>
<p>
Corin needs to find his own voice and Din needs to be able to trust his reply, before he can even consider sneakily checking if Corin might be interested in something more between them.<br/>
With a final look filled with quiet longing, shutting down his wishes, Din memorizes the sight of the two before he turns and walks back outside, closing the door silently behind him.
</p>
<p>
 He's going to keep Corin safe. He can at least do that. And that means he might as well get started on adjusting the armor. Din refuses to dwell on the question of how he knows Corin's exact measurements, merely focuses on the work. 
</p>
<p>
Din succeeds so well in this that he actually starts a little when the door to the hut opens. Din realizes the sun is up and he hadn't even noticed.<br/>
There is the sound of footsteps but Din resolutely refuses to look up. He stares intently at the wires he's messing with, knowing if he sees that wild bed hair again he'll forget all about noble promises about keeping his mouth shut about his feelings and his fingers out of that hair.
</p>
<p>
 “Hey.” Corin's voice says, sounding uncertain, as if trying to measure Din's mood. “I didn't hear you come back.”
</p>
<p>
 “It was late.” Din mutters. “Figured it was better I just started working.”
</p>
<p>
There is a brief pause, a hesitation, then Corin offers; “I'll, uhm, I'll just get the kid some food.”
</p>
<p>
 “Good.” Din prods at a wire, harsher than necessary and the angry fizzling that follows matches his mood. He feels a stab of guilt for being so gruff when Corin has done nothing wrong and adds; “Thanks.”<br/>
Only when Corin heads off with the softly warbling child does Din lift his visor and watches them walk away while holding on to the armor so hard his fingers hurt.
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <a href="https://imgbb.com/"></a><br/>
Beautiful art by the always amazing art-deity Cac0daemonia!</p>
</div>Din works. He fixes old damage, re-wires some of the frayed ones, adjusts the width of the pauldrons and the straps on the breastplate.<br/>He has no idea how much time has passed when suddenly the woman who had put the in that damn tiny hut with the huge bed appears. What was her name again? M'Jau, right.<p>“Can I get you anything? You haven't eaten, they tell me.” She says with a trying smile.</p>
<p>Din grunts, lifting up one of the vambraces and wonders if they will fit or if he needs to adjust them. “Can you ask Corin to get back here? I need him to try this on.”</p>
<p>“Very well.” She replies, smiling as if she knows a secret.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long before there is the sound of rushed footsteps and Din instantly recognizes them as Corin's. Keeping his focus on the vambrace, Din blurts out the first thing on his mind. “I need your body.” Dammit. Din's face burns with heat and he quickly adds; “I have tried to modify it to your measurements, but I'm no forger so I need to make sure.”</p>
<p>Corin moves closer and picks up one of the pieces. “I appreciate it, but I could just use my Trooper gear?”</p>
<p>“No.” Din would never have allowed even if he hadn't thrown that junk into space. That armor barely offered any protection and with these guys hunting Storm Troopers for fun, sport and credits, it was definitely not an option. At all. He picks up the breastplate and holds it out to him. </p>
<p>Corin takes it, yet his eyes flicker uncertainly. “But...”</p>
<p>“I said no.” Din declares in an iron voice. He is not in the mood to have an argument over this. He's tired, hungry and his back and neck hurts after being hunched over the armor all night.</p>
<p>Corin lowers his gaze, submitting to the confrontational tone. “Whose was this?”</p>
<p>Feeling guilty again, Din shoves a vambrace at him too. “Mine. Put it on.”<br/>
It's stupid. It's just old armor. There is absolutely no reason for Din to feel like it is his hands on Corin's body. Holding him. Protecting him. Din tries to distract himself by circling the man once the armor is fully on, tugging at some pieces to make sure they're sitting right. Oh, but does that look <i>good</i> on Corin's magnificent body. It looks like it was meant for him. “How does it feel?”</p>
<p>Corin shifts his weight and moves his arms. “Light.”</p>
<p>“Light is good. Speed is your friend.” Din informs him, almost hearing Paz snarling objections. “And this armor will be able to withstand a lot more than your old gear. That armor is a joke.”</p>
<p>That makes Corin's mesmerizing eyes flick up towards Din's visor, clearly driven by some instinctive urge to defend his old armor, but the gaze loses its courage and slides away again. He shifts his weight again and this time; a faint expression of pain flutters across his face before he can prevent it. The armor is clearly pressing down on his injury and Corin would probably rather die than to admit it hurts. </p>
<p>“Okay. That's enough. Take it off.” Din orders, forcing down his anger at whoever had taught Corin to ignore pain. “I'll make some final adjustments and it should be ready.”</p>
<p>Once the armor is off again, Corin hands him the final piece and fails to look at Din's visor. “Thanks.” He clears his throat awkwardly, seems to look for the right words. “For this. I mean... I'd rather not get shot again, so... Yeah, I really do appreciate it. Thanks.” As if he's not used to anyone bothering about his safety. Ever. He looks at Din as if he's sorry for the inconvenience.</p>
<p>Din stares at him, fighting against the urge to offer him a flood of reassurances that no one would ever hurt him again as long as Din is around, that whoever hurt him the past were wrong, that he's beautiful and brave and kind and... Din shifts his attention down to to the armor. “I'll finish up on this. You go find the kid. I'll join later.” His heart is beating so hard he's amazed Corin can't hear it.</p>
<p>Corin takes a couple of steps backwards. “Sure. Later.” But he doesn't leave. He lingers. Watches.<br/>
Din glances over, curious, but that only makes the man spin around and march away as if he'd just realized what he was doing. Din doesn't allow himself to think too much about it.</p>
<p>Later, once the work is done, Din goes looking for Corin and the child. He's exhausted, starving, and yet all he wants is to be near them. </p>
<p>Despite the looming threat, the villagers press on with their lives, as many are forced to do in the Galaxy where fate keeps kicking them, and Din navigates through wedding preparations and finally tracks down the child. It appears busy and quite content to play with the other children, so he moves on to the familiar shape he sees nearby.<br/>
He should have known he'd find Corin at the make-shift bar with a drink in his hand.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Hey.” Din takes a seat next to him, half dreading and half nervously thrilled to see if being tactile is something Corin turns into when he's drinking. </p>
<p>Corin jumps in his seat and sends him a startled look and a too friendly smile. “Hey!”</p>
<p>Pulling back a little at the shrill greeting, Din pauses for a moment, noting that Corin is definitely not drunk but still flustered for some reason, so he asks; “Something wrong?”</p>
<p>Shaking his head, a little too fast, Corin tries and fails to sound suave. “Nope. Nothing. All done with the armor?”</p>
<p>“For tonight.” Din replies, feeling the lack of sleep and food. He needs to eat and rest. And come up with a plan to deal with the goon and his henchmen.</p>
<p>A violent explosion nearby booms through the air, stunning Din and Corin both for a couple of seconds, before horror strikes. “The kid!” Din is running towards where he'd seen the little one before he can even think about what he's doing. His heart is racing with fear.<br/>
-Please be okay. Oh, please, be okay. Please don't be hurt...!</p>
<p>Pushing his way through the fleeing crowd, there is a moment of relief when he sees M'Jau standing there, holding the anxious child. He hastens over to her and eases the kid over to his arms with a mumbled thanks. The child's ears are hanging down, clearly upset and scared, and Din feels a growing fury inside him towards the ones responsible for endangering his Foundling.<br/>
Corin is stepping up next to him just as Din's attention is then drawn to a human standing in front of where probably a grenade had been thrown at some table and chairs, that luckily appears to have been the only casualties to the explosion. </p>
<p>“I'm just here to remind you fools that payment is due soon.” The idiot human dressed in all black declares, sauntering over to where a 74-Z Speeder bike hovers. “Hiring some rabble won't change anything. Pay us our money or we will burn this place to the ground, people.” The man gets on his bike and drives off, leaving fear and destruction in his wake.</p>
<p>The child makes a heartbreaking sound of distress and Din places a gentle hand on its head, mumbling a gentle reassurance in Mando'a, struggling to appear calm as to not frighten it further while raw anger is raging inside him. No one endangers this child and gets to live. Din glances over at Corin. “We're not waiting.”</p>
<p>Looking at miserable child, over at the destruction and the frightened faces of the villagers, Corin then turns his focus back to Din and for the first time since they met; Din sees actual anger in Corin's usually anxious eyes. He nods, clearly in full agreement with Din's own fury.</p>
<p>Din hands the child back to M'Jau with a pinch of guilt, seeing how the kid makes a protesting squeak to this, but he has to go to work and it won't be a fitting situation for a child. Or a former Storm Trooper.</p>
<p>When he and Corin have both geared up at the hut, ready for battle, he gives the order he knows won't be received well at all. “You're not going.” Din checks his blaster before holstering it. “You'll stay.”</p>
<p>“I'll what?” Corin says with obvious disbelief. “Forget it. I'm coming with you.”</p>
<p>“You're staying here. Someone needs to protect the village in case they decide to send more idiots this way. With the armor, you should be fine if something happens.” Din walks out the door, already planning on where to strike and how.</p>
<p>Corin stalks after him. “You can't go alone. You said so yourself; this goon has weapons and a crew!”</p>
<p>Others would have been on their back for weeks with the kind of gut wound Corin has, but he's trying to argue his way into a fight. Din admires Corin's strength and bravery, but he refuses to let it get him killed. “You're injured. You're only going to get in my way.”</p>
<p>“I'll watch your back. I'm able to fire a damn blaster!” Corin insists.</p>
<p>“No.” Din just keeps walking, frustrated. Is the man set on getting himself killed? Has he no concept of self-preservation? Doesn't he care whether he lives or dies? Because Din cares.</p>
<p>“If you want to stop me,” Corin says, defiant, still following, “you're going to have to shoot me!”</p>
<p>Snapping, Din spins around, grabs a tight hold of Corin's throat and shoves him back against a tree, holding him there while trying to calm his anger. How can Corin be so careless with his life?</p>
<p>Corin is barely able to choke out a gasp due to the harsh grip squeezing his windpipe, the shove has to have pulled at his wound,  but he doesn't fight, merely stares wide-eyed at Din.</p>
<p>“You will stay here.” Din just about growls.“No playing the sacrificial hero again. You hear me? Get it into your thick skull.” He will knock him unconscious if that is what it takes to keep Corin alive. He can't lose him. Just the thought is unbearable. “You don't get to die.”</p>
<p>Corin continues to stare at him with big eyes and Din knows that if he had not been wearing his gloves; he's fairly certain he'd feel Corin's pulse thrumming against his skin. A tense tendon on Corin's neck draws Din's attention and it takes no small amount of willpower to stay focused instead of thinking how much he wants to draw his fingers along it.</p>
<p>Of all the times for Corin to decide to make a stand, why did it have to be a time where he'd only end up getting himself killed?<br/>
If not for this minor fact, Din suspects he wouldn't be able to suppress the delight he feels at seeing that there is indeed a will inside Corin's pretty head. It just needs encouragement and nurture.<br/>
But this is not the time.<br/>
Now Corin needs to stay here and be safe while Din takes care of the danger.</p>
<p>Which makes it quite ironic that Din doesn't see the danger right in front of him.</p>
<p>Corin reaches up and takes a hold of Din's wrist, carefully pulling the hand away from his throat, and Din allows it. His point has been made. He doesn't want to hurt or frighten Corin, he just needed to make him understand. And musing over this, Din fails to prevent Corin from shifting his grip, pulling a little on Din's glove and the next thing Din knows is Corin's lips against the skin on his wrist and it feels like the ground just disappears under his feet.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Din can't move. At all. When the lips move ever so slightly over where his pulse goes from angry thumping into hyperdrive racing, where no kiss has ever been placed before and now will forever belong to Corin, Din's breath hitches in his throat and heat flares up in his blood like the flamethrower in his vambrace.</p>
<p>It's like time stops. Sounds disappear. Everything shrinks down to this contact.</p>
<p>The caress of Corin's fingertips to his wrist has haunted Din since but now the feeling of those lips moving lightly against his skin makes him shiver and shatters his control like it was nothing.</p>
<p>Din yanks his hand free. He grabs Corin's wrists with both of his hands, twists them down by his sides to hold them captive there, and pent up frustration makes him pin Corin against the tree with his own body, daring him to push back so it would give him an excuse to handle him some more.</p>
<p>Corin doesn't fight him. He just looks at him with these mesmerizing eyes of his, wide with surprise and slightly tainted by unease, but also... darker than Din has seen them before? The lips, which had become a tense line at Din's abrupt move, softens and part as if he's about to say something but can't find the words. They tremble ever so slightly. So close and so inviting...<br/>
Din realizes he's pressing himself so firmly against Corin that he can feel his chest moving with his every breath and pure arousal licks up his spine. Oh, this feels good. And it could feel even better... Din is about to push a thigh between Corin's before he realizes what he's doing and takes an abrupt step away. His body howls angrily at the lack of contact.<br/>
“You're staying.” Din manages to choke out, willing the desire away. He has to focus!</p>
<p>Corin remains where he is, leaning against the tree. “No. You don't get to give me orders, Mandalorian. This isn't the army. You're not my commanding officer.”</p>
<p>His words are brave, but his voice is weak and Din <i>knows</i> he simply has to raise his voice, get angry and confrontational, and Corin will submit. He will crumble under a direct order. But Din doesn't want that. He wants, no, he needs Corin to be able to stand up for himself like this and speak his mind. However, Din cannot allow him to come along. Clenching his hands into fists, even more frustrated, Din tries the one thing he hopes might work that won't include crushing Corin's first unsteady step towards having a free will. “Please?”</p>
<p>Corin exhales, going from defiant to defeated at the change of tone. “Don't ask this of me.”</p>
<p>“It's too dangerous.”</p>
<p>Straightening and stepping away from the tree, Corin makes a final effort at persuading him. “If it is dangerous, you're going to need my help.”</p>
<p>Din looks away. Corin is right, but that won't change Din's mind. “What I need, if things go wrong, is for you to look after the kid. I need to know he's safe. That he won't be alone. Can you do that for me?”</p>
<p>“This isn't fair.” Corin quietly accuses him.</p>
<p>“Life never is.” Din replies, relieved that Corin will at least stay in the village, but turns from him with a final reminder. “Keep your blaster ready.”</p>
<p>Just as Din starts to walk away, Corin calls out in an angry voice; “You better come back!”</p>
<p>“I will.” Din pauses, realizing he just made a promise he might not be able to hold, then adds; “This is the way.” as if Corin was a Mandalorian, before he walks off towards the battle.</p>
<p>By the time Din reaches the compound, he has half of a plan. The other half, well, he will just have to wing it. No problem, right?</p>
<p>The first thing Din does is rig an explosion at the opposite side of where he intends to enter the compound, aiming to draw most of the goons there while he enters and starts cutting his way to the leader. Usually, in cases like this, if you remove the one giving the others; things tend to fall apart pretty fast.<br/>
Din hopes this is one such case.</p>
<p>The explosion is loud, a lot louder than Din expected, he might have gone a little overboard with the amount of explosives, but it certainly gets the attention of the guards.</p>
<p>Checking his blaster one final time, adjusting his vambrace and making sure the flame thrower is ready, Din then enters the compound under the judgmental stare of empty Storm Trooper helmets on pikes and within one minute fires his first shot.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Even with the distraction, there are so many of them. Too many, Din suspects, but refuses to accept he's dead before it is an indisputable fact. He's still breathing, so he keeps fighting.<br/>
He uses every grenade he has, sets off his flame thrower twice, and he has no idea how many blaster shots he fires at them.</p>
<p>In return Din gets at least two hits to his Beskar and it feels like Paz' punches; bound to leave bruises, but his armor keeps him alive. Even his cape gets torn up when one of the enemies gets too close with a knife.</p>
<p>The real problem is, as Din expected, the head goon himself. With his style and the scars on his face, everything about him screams ex-military, and he is both skilled and strong, which makes him extremely hard to kill.<br/>
And his goons just keeps growing in numbers like Jawas, even though Din keeps shooting them.</p>
<p>Eventually Din can feel himself tiring and takes cover behind the remains of wall under where the Storm Trooper helmets are on display. He is trying to come up with a new plan when a drop of blood hits him and he realizes with disgust that one of the helmets must be really fresh...</p>
<p>“Go!” The head goon's voice declares. “Take the bikes. Burn that village down!”</p>
<p>Din starts. No. No, that can not be allowed to happen. The villagers trusts him to deal with this problem. He's agreed to protect them. And Corin and the child are in that village.<br/>
Gritting his teeth and fueled by grim determination, Din steps out from his hiding place and starts firing at the ones he sees running towards the speeder bikes. A couple of shots slams into the Beskar, but Din ignores them and focuses on stopping any bikes from leaving.</p>
<p>He succeeds. Until the head goon slams into him and drags him to ground with him.</p>
<p>What follows is a mess of punches, grabs for weapons and aiming to kill each other, while all Din can think about is the danger racing towards Corin and his Foundling. He can't fail them. He can't!</p>
<p>Pain flares through Din and he hears himself cry out as his opponent slices at his left arm with a vibroblade, but that also makes the head goon lean forward into this attack, aiming to push the blade deeper, and so opens himself to Din placing his blaster to the man's belly and firing again and again and again.</p>
<p>The man falling on him knocks the breath out of Din for a moment, but then he hears the sound of speeder bikes racing away and he shoves the body off him and scrambles to his feet. A blaster shot bounces off his pauldron and Din absently shoots the guy responsible. Two more pop up and forces him to stop at deal with them, which takes a lot longer than he likes. At least three bikes are heading towards the village. He has to catch up.</p>
<p>Din jumps on one of the remaining speeder bikes and brings it to life.</p>
<p>Racing back towards the village, he soon sees a thin pillar of smoke. He soon hears the sound of blasters being fired, even a grenade going off, and people screaming.</p>
<p>Too late. He's too late. No. There is still time. Corin is a soldier. He will stay alive and he will keep the child safe. Corin can do this.</p>
<p>Din pushes the speeder bike to its limit and when he's finally within sight of the village, he jumps off mid-speed and pulls forth his rifle. </p>
<p>One of the three goons have already been brought down, a second goes down due to a well-aimed shot and Din glances over towards the one responsible, just as the last remaining goon does, and feels a sense of relief and pride when he realizes it is indeed Corin.</p>
<p>The last remaining attacker, perched on his speeder bike with a net of blood-stained Storm Troper helmets on display, turns the accelerator and races towards Corin.<br/>
Din takes aim and fires.</p>
<p>The man disintegrates in a shower of sparks.</p>
<p>It's over. The relief is dizzying. Din attaches the rifle to his back again, ignores his battered body's complaints, and makes his way over to where Corin is.</p>
<p>He is surprised to see the child there, what is it doing on the battlefield, but Din instantly forgets to be angry over this when he sees Corin sitting slumped against a wall, hand pressed to his stomach and all the blood staining his side. He has clearly torn open his wound again and his beautiful face is so very pale.<br/>
Din kneels down next to him, suddenly terrified he is too late after all.</p>
<p>“You look like shit.” Corin says with a faint smile as he looks up at him. “You're bleeding.”</p>
<p>“So are you.” Din counters, feeling a touch of hope as he sees the child staring at the blood.</p>
<p>Corin shrugs, clearly exhausted. “Nothing new. I'll be fine. How did it go?”</p>
<p>“They're dead.”</p>
<p>Corin nods, solemn. “Good. No more helmets for them.”</p>
<p>Din reaches out and takes a light hold of Corin's shoulder, gives him a light squeeze in a mute gesture of consolation. He might only know and care for one ex-Trooper, but he knows what it is like to mourn fallen battle-brothers.<br/>
The moment is then broken by the child taking a closer interest in Corin's injury. Suspecting what it is up to, Din reaches down and removes Corin's hand from the wound to give it full access.</p>
<p>“What...?” Corin tries to object as the child reaches its clawed hand towards his torn stomach. His voice goes an octave higher and he squirms anxiously at the prospect of those claws digging into his wound. “Hey, nono, don't...”</p>
<p>The child closes his eyes, there is a sliver of a bright light dancing around the torn skin, and the flesh slowly, ever so slowly, begins to knit itself together.</p>
<p>Din and Corin both watch in silence as the magic does its thing and this time Din is ready when the child suddenly slumps back into his waiting hand and he cradles it close.</p>
<p>Corin carefully reaches over and prods at his almost completely healed stomach and then looks wide-eyed from the sleeping child to Din's visor. Clearly he just realized why Gideon is so set on getting his hands on the kid and what he will be willing to do to get his hands on it.</p>
<p>Maybe he just realized how much safer he had been as a Storm Trooper?</p>
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